Evening rides

Evening rides are not something that I get to do very often- Unless it is in winter on the Tandem. That is the reason I bought the road bike. Offroad is just a bit dangerous on your own but if I fall off on the road- someone will stop to find out what is wrong, hopefully.

So for the last couple of months I have been road riding in the evening. Still trying to get to know the bike and how it works. Don't very often get out of the middle ring on the triple but tonight I decided to go for coffee by road instead of the cycle path. The path is relatively flat but you do not get up much speed due to the number of other users on the path. The road is not that hilly but it does have a few lumps in it that could be called slopes, not long enough to be hills but Do require a gear change to get up comfortably. Any way- Did the 12 miles to the coast and stopped for coffee and checked the computer. 18.6 mph for the 12.7 miles. Not bad considering I rate getting to 15mph by the path as being hard work. Then I Finished the coffee and pulled away- or tried to. I Was in the big ring and I got into that about two miles from home. I did not find it necessary to get back into the middle. Quite pleased with that so started home by the usual cycle path. No more big ring for the rest of the ride. Got into middle and stayed there. Back to having to slow down for dogs and walkers and other bikers.

Not trying to praise myself but it suddenly hit me that Speed is not everything on these evening rides. On the road- I managed to get a bit of speed up and kept it. Even allowing for a couple of junctions where I had to slow down a bit- The average speed was up to what I would call good. But most of my road riding is done on these cycle trails. Far safer with no traffic about but also slower with the amount you have to slow down for other users. Then There is my mountain biking. Don't care about averages on these rides but if I can get 10mph for a 30 mile offroad- then I must have missed a hill somewhere.

Just can't wait now to find a 65 miler in the Autumn. I have the Grid Iron in October and have previously done this on the Mountain bike and the Tandem. Can't wait to find out if it is any easier on a Road bike. Wouldn't mind betting it is.

ah, the cool evening breeze...

except that we have NO cool evening breezes now and it will be MONTHS before it is cool enough to ride in the evenings - your description, Stapfam, reminds of how everyone else has it so much better than we do here in Texas with our hot weather and large dually pickups and dog packs running amok

BUT in 3 weeks I'll be in Germany and will add to your thread from my own cruise into the cool evening breeze...

I ride 4 - 5 evenings a week, after work. I love it. The smell of new mown hay, shicadas are really plentiful and loud this year, and I always see deer and lots of other game.
I've got one spot along the trail I've named "Sunset Bench" It's got an amazing view of the sunset accross a huge valley..... I'll have to take some pics some day.

I've been doing the same thing, mostly in town. DeKalb County (the eastern half of Atlanta) is very pretty and well treed. By 6:30 it's usually cooled off enough (although it was pretty warm this evening). Mostly I like to try to stay with the fast pack, but sometimes the slow approach is great too. I especially like the groups of little kids that get so excited about the cool bikes going by.